Jane Madell, PhD

FAAA,
CCC A/SLP,
LSLS Cert AVT

Jane(at)JaneMadell.com

HEARING
LOSS

I firmly believe that children with hearing loss have the ability to
learn to use hearing to develop spoken language. Learning to use
hearing allows them to develop language in the same way as their
typical hearing peers – by hearing it all around them.

I also believe that every child is testable – no matter the age or
degree of other disabilities. No child is too young to test. With
current skills, we can obtain accurate hearing levels using both
behavioral and electrophysiological testing, even on infants.

By

identifying hearing loss early,

fitting infants and children with
appropriate technology,

enrolling them in an auditory based
speech-language and functional listening therapy program, and

helping parents and extended family members
learn to provide excellent auditory language stimulation,

most
children with
hearing loss can be educated in the mainstream along with their typical
hearing peers. Children with additional disabilities will have more
difficulty learning and may need other means of communication to
develop, but utilizing hearing can still offer them the opportunity to
develop their auditory skills maximally.

OTHER
AUDITORY DISORDERS

Children with normal hearing can still have auditory disorders. These
include auditory processing disorders, auditory attention disorders,
and sound hypersensitivities. Even in the absence of hearing loss,
these disorders can significantly affect the ability to learn language,
to learn in the classroom and to effectively socialize with their
peers. These auditory disorders need to be identified and treated in
order to maximize auditory learning and performance.